First Impressions

I came out to Hutch with excitement because of my expectation of growing in Christ this summer along with building friendships, encouraging others, and being encouraged. Well, that is.... off to a fantastic start! Everyone here is super friendly. I'm actually quite amazed at how friendly and supportive everyone is. I've known the Keele's for 4.5 years now, and I know how supportive and friendly they are, but I did not expect to find so many others like them. I guess it's part of being in communion with God.

The church here has a great staff. I came, and I was just part of the group. It was so neat. I didn't feel like the new guy; I didn't feel on the outside. I felt like I belong here. That's not a feeling I often get -- I very often feel on the outside of things. The elders are just as wonderful. I guess it feels like I'm home.

I've never been away from my parents for 10 weeks straight (I've been 8 weeks, only seeing them 1 weekend), so I'm still a little iffy about how that will be. I'm the baby of the family, and pretty close to them.

It also appears that Kansas has more allergens than Illinois. Oh well, I'm sure my body will soon adjust to that. However, I might be sad if it's always this cloudy here. I like my sun occasionally, but I'm not complaining, since I like the cool weather. It makes it more pleasant to ride my bike into work. Speaking of riding my bike into work, I get a really neat experience every time I do it. Wheat fields are beautiful (I'm used to corn and soybeans), and they make a wonderful sound when the wind rustles through them. It makes me realize the beauty of God. And I get that every time I ride into work. Awesome.

So things are off to a great start. I'm excited for meeting new people and getting to know them, and I'm excited that I get to work with such great people. Basically, I think this summer is going to be a great experience for me with a lot of growth.